A Walk in the Snow
by Dragonfly-Moonlight
Summary: Tohma's away on business, but New York is not where he wants to be. Tenderness side story


At some point during the night, it had snowed. It wasn't a few flakes here and there when Tohma had awoken in the morning, either. The snow had not only covered the ground, but had buried nearly everything under at least six inches of the white, powdery-like substance, he had noted with mild annoyance as he gazed out the window of his room of the Belvedere Hotel. Tree branches were laden with the stuff, and the roads and sidewalks were undoubtedly slick with slush and ice. Flights, both incoming and outgoing, would be delayed.

His flight to Tokyo possibly being delayed was what truly irritated Tohma the most. He had come to New York on business. Tohma felt he had not had much of a choice in the matter. His American offices had slowed in their production quota, and he had wanted to find out why. As a result, Tohma had called several meetings with his American staff for as soon as possible then booked himself on the first available flight to New York. He'd gotten lucky with the Belvedere Hotel when he'd called about staying with them. They'd had a last minute cancellation that had enabled him to get a room at the last possible moment and for the duration he felt he needed to be in the city.

He'd had to leave without Shuichi, however, and it had pained Tohma to leave the younger man behind. Their relationship had started to flourish, to truly flourish, and it was going to be their first holiday together. Tohma had wanted to spend his off-hours with the vocalist before the holiday madness began.

It had made sense for Shuichi to stay in Japan, though. Bad Luck had begun recording its new album under a renewed, and improved, contract under NG Productions. From a business perspective, it was foolhardy to delay the process by taking the band's singer with him on a whim and a personal whim at that.

There was also Reiji from XMR to consider as well when he'd made the plans to return to New York and without Shuichi. The young girl still held a flame for Shuichi, and had not been pleased when the vocalist had opted, once more, to stay with NG. Tohma wouldn't have put it by her to try and steal the singer away in whatever manner she could. For all he knew, the reason why his American offices had been suffering for business could have been because of XMR.

His hunch had not been too far from the mark. The moment he'd stepped into his American offices and into the meetings with his executives, he'd heard varying tales of the same thing: XMR was stealing talent left and right from NG Productions. His personnel had been almost powerless to stop most of the artists from leaving. XMR was simply offering a sweeter deal than what NG could offer the musicians. It was aggravating to learn, but Tohma took comfort in the knowledge there was always more talent out there, waiting to be discovered. It was also very easy to reword contracts as well, and very possible to make it difficult for any band to break a newly formed deal.

The meetings also had not taken up too much of his time, and he'd decided he could have probably taken care of the problem from the Tokyo office. At least then he'd have been able to stay close to Shuichi and wake up every morning to the vocalist's peaceful, slumbering visage while it snowed outside. Having the younger man next to him in the mornings warmed him like nothing else could. However, he'd decided to travel to New York to remedy the situation. It was December, close to Christmas, and he had counted on being able to do a little shopping for family and friends when he wasn't in his meetings. The shopping had been completed, the meetings were over with quickly, and the problem NG faced in America dissuaded for a short time. Tohma had wanted to go home, back to Tokyo and back to Shuichi, so he had arranged for a sooner flight.

A flight that had possibly been delayed now, or even cancelled, thanks to the weather. Tohma let out a sigh then turned on the hotel room's television. Though one could see what the weather was like just by looking outside, it wouldn't hurt to find out what exactly had been delayed and cancelled. It was best to find out bad news right way, in his opinion. He dressed himself in a dark green, silk shirt and black slacks as he listened. To his great displeasure, his flight to Tokyo had not only been delayed, as he'd suspected it would have been, but it had been delayed indefinitely. More bad weather was on the way, according to one of the news anchors, and the airlines weren't taking any chances. All outgoing flights had been grounded while all incoming flights had been redirected.

'So much for going home,' he sighed to himself, feeling rather melancholic about the situation and little out of control. Granted, the weather was something he'd never be able to have obey him, but he still hated the feelings that were threatening to overwhelm him. They made him feel inadequate, and undeserving of the few precious things he had in his life. Tohma ignored the laptop sitting next to the phone on the desk, his feet slipping into socks and shoes he didn't really need to wear. He'd brought the portable computer with him so he could keep in contact with Sakano and Shuichi, to make sure things in Tokyo were running smoothly and to find out how Shuichi's days were without Tohma there, but he couldn't even look at the device, not when he'd have to tell them he wouldn't be home for the holiday. It was depressing, though he would never let it show.

A knock on the door brought Tohma out of his saddened musings, a light frown touching his features then shook his head. He had not ordered room service, rarely ever ordered room service for breakfast, often preferring to grab a pastry from the continental breakfast bar or from a local bakery when he stayed in a hotel, so he knew who was _not_ knocking on his door. Since it couldn't have been room service, it left only one person to disturb him this early, as NG's American staff knew better than to bother him before he reached the office. Reiji. She was doing her best to try and irritate him for some reason.

He schooled his features as he walked towards the door. Yes, Reiji had been trying her best to get a rise out of Tohma, going as far as to knock on his hotel door nearly every morning and talking about how she would eventually tear Shuichi away from NG Productions, but she had yet to succeed. Her boastful words were simply just those: boastful words. Shuichi had made his decisions on how he would run his life, and Tohma had accepted those decisions, had even been supportive of his lover. Reiji had not understood so she had done her best to aggravate Tohma while he was in the States. He, however, would remain as inflappable as ever when dealing with her. After all, he'd managed with Ryuichi. Conversing with a young girl determined to annoy him was hardly any different, in Tohma's opinion.

Bright smile in place, the one he always used to charm people, Tohma opened the door to greet the knocker . . . and ended up with an armful of a shivering body covered in a heavy winter coat. A lithe form had launched itself at him and latched on in an attempted vice grip, something Tohma's surprise had prevented him from avoiding. The heavy coat prevented his assailant's hugging attack from being too tight. Fortunately, Shuichi's light stature wasn't enough to knock Tohma onto the floor. At least, Tohma _thought_ it was Shuichi when he knew it wasn't Shuichi. The vocalist was still in Tokyo. There was no way Shuichi's form had arrived in New York.

"You're here! I didn't think you would be! I was certain you'd have left for the office by now!" a familiar voice declared, the sound muffled thanks to Tohma's shirt. Tohma blinked in surprise when he shouldn't have been. His body's instincts had been confirmed. Shuichi _was_ in his arms.

"Shuichi?"

Amethyst eyes gazed up at him, sparkling with happiness, and the brightest of smiles crossed youthful features. Tohma felt his annoyance at the weather quickly dissipating though he couldn't help but wonder why the vocalist was in New York instead of Tokyo.

"Yeah," Shuichi murmured, snuggling closer. "My flight came in late last night before they started directing planes to go somewhere else. I was stuck at the airport with K until the weather cleared. No one wanted to be outside last night otherwise I'd have been here sooner. I'm glad I chose warm clothing to wear, though. K wasn't kidding when he said New York could get dumped with a lot of snow every now and then! It's cold out there!"

"I can imagine it is," he said, feeling a slight chill seeping into his own clothes from the vocalist's winter coat. He quickly pulled Shuichi further into the room and grabbed the younger man's suitcases so the door could close. "Not that I'm displeased to see you, but why aren't you in Tokyo?"

"I wanted to surprise you! And K and Sakano-san decided to give everyone some extra time off for Christmas," Shuichi replied cheerfully. "I think it's because Sakano-san wanted to spend some more time with Maiko. It's their first Christmas together, after all, and K wanted to spend some time with his family as well. I think Eiri and Hiro are still trying to sort some things out between them, though. They may have had a fight or something. Hiro looked rather relieved when we were given the extra time off. I don't know for certain what's going on with him, though. I think he's still mad at me for not telling him about you sooner. Anyway, Suguru went to Kyoto to see Tatsuha, Sakano-san and my sister were going to drive to Osaka to be with his parents, and K came with me to New York since his wife and son are staying here for the holidays."

The beginnings of a smile, a true smile, tugged on the corners of Tohma's lips. There was something always reassuring about hearing Shuichi talk and his flowing, random nature as he spoke. Perhaps it was the vocalist's inability to tell a convincing lie, or perhaps it was the easy-going nature in which Shuichi spoke. It really didn't matter, though. When he heard his young lover talking, his worries vanished for a while and all Tohma had to think about was Shuichi.

Tohma also loved how Shuichi felt in his arms. The vocalist stood a few inches shorter than he did, which made it easy for the two of them to curl up together when the mood struck and not have aching muscles to deal with later.

Unfortunately, his young lover didn't stay in his arms for very long. Shuichi reluctantly pulled away from him and began to take off his winter coat. Tohma watched as the singer stripped out of his winter gear.

"It's so pretty out there, though," Shuichi said. "I love it when it snows. It always makes the air feel so clean. At least, I think it does, anyway."

"Would you like to go for a walk then?" Tohma inquired, his tone light and airy. "We could head towards Fifth Avenue and simply enjoy the weather."

A year ago, Tohma would have never made such a suggestion to anyone, not even to Mika. Why, he hadn't been able to sufficiently explain to himself. There had been a time he'd been something akin to a hopeless romantic, and a walk through the snow, or any other kind of weather for that matter, had sounded charming and quaint. Perhaps it had been due to the lack of enthusiasm from his former wife that had killed the desire in him. Mika had been a pragmatic soul, and undoubtedly still was. Taking walks through the snow or rain, according to her, was a good way to catch a chill, and no one wanted that.

Shuichi was not Mika, though, and Tohma had not failed to notice how much the younger man enjoyed outdoor activities. Rain or sunshine, Shuichi would head out the door to do something, anything, the first opportunity that came his way. The singer knew how to enjoy the simpler things in life, and he did his best to make sure Tohma stopped to enjoy them as well. Tohma's suggestion for them to go for a walk was sure to please the vocalist.

Sure enough, the moment the words left Tohma's lips Shuichi's eyes widened, and happiness shone in those amethyst depths. The singer nodded his head vigourously.

"Yeah! Of course I would!" Then Shuichi seemed to deflate, as if he realized something. "It would have to wait, though, wouldn't it? You have all of those meetings . . ."

A soft chuckle escaped Tohma, and he pulled his lover to him. Slender arms slowly wrapped themselves about Tohma's waist, and dark locks of silky hair tickled his chin. It was only natural for Shuichi to believe the meetings were still taking place. Tohma had not told anyone they had ended quickly or that he'd been ready to head for home. He smiled, nuzzling his young lover.

"No. It would not have to wait," he murmured, inhaling some and taking in Shuichi's scent. "I have no meetings today or for the rest of the week."

"Really?"

"Really," Tohma assured. "Everything's taken care of for the moment. So what do you say? Would you like to go for a walk in the snow?"

Amethyst eyes lit up bright, brighter than what Tohma could have ever imagined, and that smile, that oh so beautiful smile, returned. Shuichi nodded his head once more.

"You bet I do!"

--

Around an hour later (Tohma had insisted Shuichi take a shower and wake himself up some), the two men were in the lobby of the Belvedere Hotel and heading for the main entrance. Their hands had met, and their fingers had intertwined, in spite of the fact they were both wearing gloves, but Shuichi hadn't seemed to mind. If anything, the younger man's smile had grown wider and brighter, and Tohma noticed the slight bounce in his lover's steps. Shuichi was quite obviously happy to be there, happy to be holding hands with him, and happy to be going out. Something about that kind of knowledge made Tohma feel warm all over and not in a sexual way.

Of course, he had more than just the walk in mind for he and Shuichi. There were a number of coffee shops along the way and some bakeries as well. They could always stop along the way and pick up some treats for later in the evening. Tohma also wanted to buy a blanket for the two of them to share. Sure, they had the blankets provided to them by the hotel, but he had already made it a habit for them to snuggle under something that belonged to them. The thought of using something someone else had already slept under with Shuichi was rather unappealing to Tohma, and the thought also made him feel rather unclean, like everything they would share would be forever tainted. Tohma couldn't stand that thought. He'd never tell Shuichi he felt that way, but then he felt it hardly mattered. The singer was rather amicable to some of Tohma's strange tendencies, never questioning little things but always accepting. It never ceased to amaze Tohma.

The door of the lobby slid open, allowing the two to step into the cool, crisp morning air. Tohma paused for a moment then inhaled deeply. New York was a bustling city. It wouldn't be long before people ventured outside, either for play or to head to work, and Tohma wanted to enjoy as much of the peacefulness with Shuichi as he could.

At a rather sedate pace, Tohma led Shuichi around the streets of New York. The snow crunched underneath their feet as they walked, and the wet substance clung to the bottoms of their pants, soaking them. Soon their cheeks and noses were red from the chill, and Tohma's fingers ached from lack of activity to keep them warm. He wouldn't head back to the hotel just yet, though. He was on a mission, and nothing would deter him from accomplishing his goals, not even Mother Nature herself.

From the corner of his eye, Tohma watched as his young lover took in as much of the city as he could, from the street vendors and busy shops to the Christmas decorations and tempting aromas coming from the bakeries they passed. The vocalist's eyes sparkled from the excitement that surrounded him. They had even come across a vocal group on a street corner, dressed in old fashioned dresses and suits and singing Christmas carols, and Shuichi had stopped for a few moments, listening.

As they walked together, their fingers still intertwined, Tohma often stole a glance at the young man next to him, and couldn't help but smile. Violet eyes glimmered with excitement at each sight, an excitement that had spread to Tohma the further their feet carried them from the hotel. He could only imagine how everything had to appear to the lithe singer, how similar yet different the sights of New York City were compared to Tokyo, and all of the sights had to be overwhelming.

Tohma gave Shuichi's hand a reassuring squeeze as they walked along, not even sure as to why he did. The gesture prompted his young lover to glance in curiosity at him, but Tohma merely smiled at Shuichi and pulled him a little closer. He had no real reason as to why he had done such a thing, other than he simply had wanted to have the younger man closer to him. Tohma wanted to feel him there, despite the fact their hands were clasped together.

It was undescribable, what it felt like to have Shuichi next to him as they walked along New York's city streets. Tohma wasn't even sure he wanted to explain how he felt to have Shuichi with him. To put everything into words would be to detract from the sensations that flooded his senses as they walked along. Another glance at Shuichi, and Tohma decided he didn't need words. Things were fine simply the way they were. Tohma coudn't have asked for a better moment in time. Or so he had thought.

--

Night blanketed the city of New York as did another several inches of snow. Their walk to Fifth Avenue had been cut short, thanks to another bout of flurries, but not until after Tohma had made his desired purchases. They'd made it back to the Belvedere Hotel, purchases in hand, just as the winds had picked up and made it impossible for anyone to see more than a few feet ahead in any direction.

Of course, Tohma wasn't going to complain about the walk having ended sooner than he'd have liked. Shuichi was with him, the two of them curled under a large, dark blue fleece blanket with white snowflakes adorning it that had caught both of their attentions and that they both had agreed was just right. Upon returning to the hotel, they had immediately stripped out of their winter gear and wet clothing, promptly snuggling with each other on top of the room's bed. Two empty cups sat on the nightstand, and Shuichi rested against him, bare flesh warming bare flesh.

Tohma couldn't have thought of a better way to have ended his day. It was simply . . . perfect.


End file.
